Frequently Asked Questions

Our standard manufacturing build time is up to 20 business days, though most standard orders are completed and ship out within 14 to 18 business days.

Yes, we offer expedited and rush upgrades at checkout to get your order sooner:

• Expedited Build Time: Up to 11 business days (incurs an additional $5 baseline fee + 7.5% charge).
• Rush Build Time: Up to 6 business days (incurs an additional $5 baseline fee + 15% charge).

Please Note (Seasonal Adjustment): Our rush options can be temporarily suspended during the local planting season while the shop workers are in the fields.

Yes, the shop closes to observe some holidays, which may extend standard build times:

• Good Friday
• July 4th
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving (including the following Friday)
• Christmas (including an extra day depending on the calendar)
• New Year’s Day
• January 6th (Old Christmas — half holiday)

Additions and structural modifications can be made to standard orders a few days after the order is placed. After a few days, or when the order enters production, a rush charge may be required to manufacture additional pieces in the same batch.

All of our fronts and drawers are custom made to order and we do not stock certain sample sizes. If you would like to have a sample, we recommend you purchase a small piece that you can use in your project. You may contact us about reimbursing shipping and production fee charges for samples!

All of our custom cabinet doors and drawer fronts are delivered fully assembled and sanded to a smooth 180-grit finish with all cross-grain scratches carefully removed. They are shipped completely unfinished (raw), giving you freedom to paint, stain, or varnish them to perfectly match your space.

• Frame & Slab Thickness: 3/4″
• Standard Frame Width: 2 1/4″ (An optional 3″ frame is available on the order page; call for custom widths).
• Raised Panel Thickness: 9/16″
• Reversed Raised Panel Thickness (Flat Panel Face): 7/16″
• Flat Panel Thickness (Plywood): 1/4″
• Multi-Panel Breakpoints: To prevent structural warping, doors over 42″ high automatically include a double panel (one extra center rail). Doors over 72″ high include a triple panel (two extra rails).

Our P4 flat panels feature a reverse-raised solid wood design (7/16") and are our most popular choice. They provide added stiffness, weight, and premium quality, and minimize the tendency to rattle. P5 flat panels utilize standard 1/4" cabinet plyboard or MDF with real wood veneer facing.

The wood grain runs vertically along the height dimension on cabinet door panels, and horizontally along the width dimension on drawer fronts.

Yes, we integrate specialized rubber spacers inside the panel grooves. This holds the panel tightly in place to prevent rattling while safely allowing for minor, natural expansion and contraction caused by seasonal humidity.

Solid wood slab doors are naturally more prone to warping and expanding in high-humidity environments than framed doors. As a result, we do not offer slab doors as standard offerings on the site. However, we can build them for certain applications. To stabilize them, warpage-stabilizing battens made from the matching wood species are installed on the door. The pricing for slab doors is the same as shaker style doors.

• Dimensions: 3/4″ thick, 2 1/4″ wide, and exactly 4 1/2″ shorter than the door width (extending to 2 1/4″ from the door edges).
• Installation: We install them across the grain (at a right angle) using one screw on each end, and a screw or glue in the center.

The beaded groove sequence features a wide 1 1/4″ space, a 1/16″ wide by 1/16″ deep groove, a narrow 3/16″ space, followed by another 1/16″ groove. This beautiful detail is available across all frame designs, including raised panels and MDF panels.

We do not supply the glass with our frame only doors. You will need to source your glass locally. The optional glass retainer strips are purchased separately here: https://custombuiltdoor.com/product/glass-retainer-strip-25-roll/.

75% to 90% of our customers choose to have optional glass retainer strip grooves cut into their Frame Only doors. This enables a removable yet secure fastening option for your 1/8” thick glass panel. It is also okay to use a more permanent mounting option of using a bead of silicone caulk around the back side of the glass to attach it to the frame (no glass retainer strip or groove necessary with this method).

Our frame only doors have a 1/2″ wide rabbet cut into the inside edge of the frame. You will need to source your glass locally. Note: Standard 2 1/4″ frames with a glass groove will have a glass insertion cutout area approximately 3.5″ less than the total frame width and 3.5″ less than the total frame height.

Our shop aims to never exceed your target dimensions to prevent problems with inset applications. Our goal is to be accurate to within 1/32″ under your target measurement. If an item arrives more than 1/16″ under your ordered size, it is fully covered under our warranty and can be redone.

Click here for our handy door measurement calculator tool: https://custombuiltdoor.com/guides/#measuring

To determine your final door size for standard face-frame cabinets:

• Measure the clear opening width and height of your cabinet bay.
• Add your desired overlay amount to both sides.

Example (Standard 1/2″ Overlay):

• If your cabinet opening is 30″ wide x 36″ high.
• Width calculation: 30″ opening + 1/2″ left overlay + 1/2″ right overlay = 31″ total door width.
• Height calculation: 36″ opening + 1/2″ top overlay + 1/2″ bottom overlay = 37″ total door height.

Yes! We offer an optional hinge drilling service. Our standard spacing drills 35mm hinge cup holes placed exactly 3″ from the top and bottom edges of the door to the center of the bore, and 1/8″ inset from the outer side edge.

• Doors up to 42″ high receive 2 holes.
• Doors between 42″ and 72″ high receive 3 holes.
• Doors over 72″ high receive 4 holes.
• Customization: Hinge locations can be adjusted vertically upon request.
• Exclusions: Hinge drilling is not available if you select outside frame profiles E10, E18, or E19.

If you order hinges through us, we include matching rubber door bumpers and the screws hardware for installation. Each hinge includes:

• To Face Frame: Quantity 1 of a #10 x 3/4″ Pan Head screw.
• To Door Hinge Cup: Quantity 2 of a #6 x 5/8″ Flat Head screw.

Yes. For standard 1/2″ overlay face-frame applications, we provide specialized multi-door hinge kits: https://custombuiltdoor.com/product/corner-door-hinge-package/

• First Door (Cabinet to Door): Uses a full-overlay face-frame hinge and a single or double-cam mounting plate.
• Second Door (Mating Door to Door): Uses a pie-corner hinge paired with a 3mm stamped steel mounting plate.
• Boring Note: Hinge cup holes are bored into both sides of the first door; the second (pull) door requires no bore holes.

We source premium woods categorized by look and character. Minor color variance is natural, but here is a guide to choosing the right look for your project:

• Paint Grade (MDF or Hardwood): The most economical choice since wood pieces are not grain or color-matched.
  • Natural Paint Grade: A cost-effective mix of raw hardwoods selected for smooth, flat surfaces (Birch, Maple, or Cherry) and ideal for painting.
  • MDF Panel: Recommended for a flawlessly smooth, mirror-like paint finish. MDF offers superior resistance to warping, expansion, and contraction.
  • Solid Maple Paint Grade: Exclusively uses solid maple pieces suited for painting.
  • Note on Oak for Paint: While Red Oak can be painted, its deeply pitted cellular structure means the paint job will not be perfectly smooth; subtle rows of textured pits will show through the paint.
• Sugar Maple (Hard Maple) & Red Leaf Maple: Hard Sugar Maple is incredibly durable and bright in its Select grade. Red Leaf Maple is slightly softer/less brittle, making it exceptionally resilient and ideal for absorbing deep, dark stains uniformly.
• Birch & Red Oak: Available in Rustic (knotty wood with natural color variations), Natural (minor color variation and light mineral streaks), or Select (completely knotty-free, uniform color, tightly matched; highly recommended for light stains).
• Cherry: Standard Cherry is available in Rustic, Natural, or Select (no knots or sapwood). We also offer a Budget Cherry which features beautiful, pronounced natural color variations with zero knots (not recommended for light stains).
• Hickory: Standard Hickory provides a highly contrasting blend of light and dark brown tones. We also offer a Budget Hickory which is a highly uniform, mostly white hickory with minimal dark marketwood variation. (All-white hickory can be requested across standard grades at no extra charge).
• Quarter Sawn White Oak & Red Oak: Cut perpendicular to the face to reveal beautiful, prominent wavy stripes and figuring (flecking). White Oak features cooler, modern grey tones, while Red Oak offers a warmer look. Available in Natural (small pin knots with distinct flecking) or More Flecking (hand-selected for maximum stripe figuring).
• Walnut, Pine, Ash, Alder: Sourced across various character profiles from uniform Select grades to knotty Rustic varieties.

Our premium dovetail drawer boxes are handcrafted from 5/8″ solid Maple and come fully finished with a durable, beautiful clearcoat lacquer. They feature a solid 5/8" frame paired with your choice of drawer bottom material.

• Optional Hand Scoops: Crafted at 4″ wide by 1 1/2″ deep.
• Optional Undermount Slide Notching: Standardized at 2 1/4″ wide by 1/2″ high.

For standard 24″ deep cabinets utilizing specialized 45-degree corner drawer applications:

• We use standard 27″ corner drawer slides.
• The drawer box depth must be ordered exactly 4 1/16″ larger than the nominal slide length.
• Therefore, for a 27″ slide, you must order a drawer box depth of 31 1/16″. This allows the slide clips to line up perfectly and fits cleanly within the minimum 31 1/2″ diagonal clearance required inside a 24″ deep corner cabinet.

No. Because every project requires different slide tracking mechanisms (or customers are simply replacing an old box), slides are not included by default. However, we sell drawer slides separately.

Our standard stock veneer is 1/32″ thick (measured without the removable paper backing). Standard orders are loosely matched, but for a premium look, you can request architectural Grain Matching for an additional fee:

• Sequence Matched: The wood grain is beautifully matched and runs continuously along the longest dimension of the sheets.
• End Matched: The wood grain matches and runs along the shortest dimension of the sheet (custom-made to order, requiring a 2-week production lead time).

For a permanent, bubble-free bond, the ideal substrates are MDF, Particle Board, and Cabinet-Grade Plywood. Standard tempered hardboard panels also work well for economic projects.

The secret to a flawless bond with pressure-sensitive adhesive backing is intense concentrated pressure. No heat is needed.

• If applying directly to raw, unfinished wood or plywood, we highly recommend sealing the substrate first with a layer of contact cement or polyurethane.
• Peel and position the sheet, then use a specialized veneer scraper (or a smooth, solid 1x4 block of wood) to apply maximum physical pressure down the sheet in concentrated passes.

To achieve professional results on our raw wood products, we highly recommend the following finishes:

• For Paint applications: We recommend PPG Break-Through!®. It features an exceptionally fast dry and cure time, resulting in an ultra-hard acrylic enamel finish that never feels tacky or sticky. For best results, prime first; an oil-based primer is optimal, though a high-quality latex primer works well in most residential cases.
• For Clear Coat Varnish: We recommend a high-quality conversion varnish. It cures to a remarkably hard, scratch-resistant surface and offers minimal yellowing over time compared to traditional finishes.
• For Natural Oil Finishes: We highly recommend Rubio Monocoat. It is widely considered the gold standard for hardwax oils. Unlike standard oils, it molecularly bonds to raw wood fibers in a single coat, features 0% VOCs (completely non-toxic with no harsh odors), and leaves a beautiful, rich matte texture.

Small sheets of veneer, individual drawer boxes, and small hardware packages ship via standard parcel services (UPS Ground, FedEx, or USPS) with transit times averaging 1 to 5 days. For oversized products, length-based carrier surcharges may apply. Large or heavy orders will arrive via LTL Freight on secure pallets.

Because different items (like doors, drawer boxes, and veneers) are manufactured in separate shops, they may finish production at different times. If your order contains a mix of these lines, we will ship components as they become ready to keep your project moving forward. You will receive a tracking email for each shipment as it leaves our facility.

We accept returns on uninstalled cabinet hardware within 30 days of delivery.

• All returns require an official Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number; please contact our customer support team to receive one before shipping items back.
• Returned items must be in brand-new, completely uninstalled, and resalable condition, and must include a copy of your original packing slip.